True Patriot Love Foundation Launches New Initiative

August 31, 2012August 31, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

True Patriot Love Foundation - Out of the Sand

Out of the Sand Like A Pro

Today I had the honor of playing golf at the launch of the True Patriot Love Foundation Golf Tournaments. True Patriot Love is a national foundation that supports and honours members of the Canadian military and their families. It was founded by a group of citizens dedicated to building bridges between Canadian civilians and their military, in order to better understand and appreciate the sacrifices of soldiers and their families. In celebrating the patriotism of our military families, our foundation also strives to inspire Canadians to serve their country, whether it’s in or out of uniform.

Score Golf says: “Our part is simple. Golfers who play this Labour Day weekend at participating Patriot Day courses across Canada can donate any dollar amount to help the cause and show we care about this nation’s military and their families. Thirty-seven courses from across Canada have made the commitment to this first Patriot Golf Day. You can see a full list of the participating courses by going to www.pgaofcanada.com. Courses not yet signed up can still do so by also visiting the website.”

We played 18 holes at the North Bay Golf and Country Club. It is a top rated private course. Pros from around the area came and showed their skills and help us launch this fantastic event. The course was in fantastic shape, the greens were amazing and the company was outstanding. We were extremely fortunate to LGen Dechamps, the Royal Canadian Air Force Commander, as the guest of honor. Overall, the day was fantastic.

As a serving military member, I cannot express my gratitude to the True Patriot Love foundation and want to thank them for caring for the men and women in uniform. Their contribution to our welfare is truly touching! Thank you.

Which Shot Was the Worst?

August 29, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Today, I learned a valuable lesson. I was golfing with a friend and we were playing pretty well. We were enjoying the beautiful weather, excellent conditions at Osprey Links, and great conversation. I am a grateful golfer just for the outstanding time on the links.

All was going well until the 16th hole. It is a long uphill par 5 with a difficult approach shot. I hit the ball a little long and rolled off the back into the long grass. Now the fun begins. I hit my 52 degree and chilly dipped the shot. Frustrated, I walked up to the ball on the fringe and sculled it 25 feet from the pin. A smooth 2 putt and ta da – 7.

So which was the worst shot….you are right. It was the 5th shot I sculled across the green. Every once in a while, I make silly mistakes like this. I should have walked over to my bag, grabbed the proper club and my putter. Then walk back to the ball and focus and visualize the ball going in the hole. This is an important lesson I continue to relearn.

Everyone makes a bad shot, it is what you do next that counts. Reducing strokes by staying focused and accepting that sometimes bad shots happen will reduce your overall score. Besides, on such a fantastic day what did I have to complain about…I am a grateful golfer!

Visualization to Success!

August 28, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Visualizing is the key to success in golf. I believe that visualizing your ball path will have nothing but positive results. So what does this really mean? How does one visualize anything? These are very good questions.

The Golf Sage says that “A perfect golf swing extends well beyond just having the best equipment to play the game. Yes, you need quality, reliable equipment and a lot of practice but that practice needs to be both physically and mentally as perfect as possible. Don’t replay your negative or unsuccessful plays in your head. You must focus on thinking about the positive and successful visualization of your game experience in every way.”

Jack Nicklaus said that: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there; its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.”

At Golfblogger.com the method described is the one I use. I pick a spot one foot ahead of my ball and visualize the flight path along that line. I focus on where I want it to land and how far. On the green, I do the exact same thing with one small change…..it goes in the hole every time. I find that I can easily duplicate this process and it enables me to quickly visualize success.

There is one thing in common in all the above comments. Visualization works and is important to improving your game. I visualize success everyday and while playing I visualize the perfect golf swing. I am a grateful golfer.

Chipping – Being Aggressive

August 27, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

I have been off golfing lately and was wondering why most of my approach shots are significantly short. I watch the pros and see them discussing which club to use, the wind, the ball location, what they are going to eat for lunch….ok not so much. Ultimately, they take in many factors that most of us do not consider. So what makes them so special that most of the pros are putting from 10 feet instead of 20 feet like the majority of amateur golfers.

Well it has to do with how aggressive they are when hitting their approach shots. Whether they are 100 yards out or 10 yards; the pros try to sink the ball every time. They figure it is best to be long the consistently short. As my friend once told me, 100 percent of short shots do not go in! I tend to agree with that analogy.

So what to do? I recommend that you try to sink your approach shot with no fear. It is easier to adjust distance if you are aggressive and you also have the line if the ball goes past the hole. I know it sounds difficult, but actually it is not. Focus on sinking your approach shot and you will find that your putt (if you miss the hole) will shorter and the chances of making it will significantly increase.

Monkey Golf

August 12, 2012August 12, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

If you want to have some fun with a group of players, try Monkey Golf. I am not sure what the rest of the world calls it, but it is a fun game to improve your game, challenge the way you look at a course, and forces you to be creative.

Here’s how you play. Grab three clubs. Yes, only three clubs. For the course I play, I would choose my three hybrid, 8 iron and putter. Then off you go. Play your round. I will bet your score will be the same, if not lower, than what you normally shoot. You have to concentrate more, think of better ways to play the course (instead of just bashing you way around with the same clubs all the time), and encourages a Seve way of golf.

If you have never played before Monkey Golf; try it; you will be pleasantly surprised! Having fun on the links is what golf is all about. I am a grateful golfer!